The Drive

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross-talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss Jared Bednar returning as the head coach of the Avalanche. Zach points out the lack of playoff success outside of the Cup year, and the guys debate if another coach like David Carle would have the respect of the Avs locker room. Zach and Phil debate if Marvin Mims is a trade candidate for the Broncos with their history of moving off wide receivers when they have a full position room. Will the Broncos be able to figure out Mims' role on the offense or continue to use him mostly as a special teamer? We react to the Broncos giving Patrick Surtain an unpromoted pay bump this week. Are players like Nik Bonitto and Jaylen Waddle also looking for a pay bump as rewards for outperforming their contracts? We react to Jamal Murray being left off the Team Canada roster. Is there a fracture between Murray and his national basketball team? 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Broncos as they started OTA's today. After looking into the numbers, does Courtland Sutton have a case to be the number one receiver with the Broncos, even after the Jaylen Waddle trade? Have we underrated Sutton because of the changing coaches and quarterbacks in Denver and the up-and-down offenses during his tenure here? Who should be the number one option for the Broncos in 2026? Which wide receiver will the opponents' best cornerback cover on a week-to-week basis? We react to Mike Klis saying there could be a position battle at left guard between Ben Powers and recent draft pick Kage Casey. We wrap up the show recapping the day in Denver Sports with Jared Bednar returning as the Avs head coach, GM Chris MacFarland leaving the organization to join the Nashville Predators, and Joe Sakic returning to his role as GM on an interim basis. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue to react to Mike Klis's preview of Broncos OTA's and his comments on new play caller Davis Webb prioritizing Evan Engram this season. Will Webb be able to unlock Engram in his first season calling plays? Will Engram improve on his catch reliability? We react to the news of the day in Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland leaving the Avs to become the President of Hockey with the Predators, as well as the news of Jared Bednar returning for next season. What do the guys make of Joe Sakic re-taking over as GM for the interim? Will former Av Andrew Cogliano take over as the next team general manager? With the NFL Draft behind us, Zach shares 5 names of guys the Broncos could look to add to the roster, including Stefon Diggs, Taysom Hill, Cam Jordan, and more. Would a Von Miller reunion make sense for the Broncos? We debate the Avs' decision to bring back Jared Bednar and how much blame he deserves for the Avs playoff shortcomings. 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil pivot off the Avalanche and to the Broncos as their OTA's are underway. After looking into the numbers, does Courtland Sutton have a case to be the number one receiver with the Broncos, even after the Jaylen Waddle trade? Have we underrated Sutton because of the changing coaches and quarterbacks in Denver and the up-and-down offenses during his tenure here? Who should be the number one option for the Broncos in 2026? Could the Broncos move on from Sutton next offseason to save cap space in 2027? Today's "Three Count" includes Chris MacFarland leaving the Avalanche to be the President of Hockey in Nashville, Cale Makar coming in 2nd for the Norris Trophy, previewing Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Golden Knights and Hurricanes tonight, and reacting to the College Football Playoff schedule for 2026-2027. We react to Mike Klis saying there could be a position battle at left guard between Ben Powers and recent draft pick Kage Casey. 

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross-talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss the breaking news of the Broncos restructuring Pat Surtain's contract and Chris MacFarland leaving the Avalanche to become the President of Hockey with the Predators. Zach and Phil continue to discuss Chris MacFarland leaving the Avalanche, as well as the news that Jared Bednar is expected to return as the Avs head coach. We get into a heated debate over whether Jared Bednar deserves an extension. Would Bednar "hold out" if he does not get an extension? How much of the playoff disappointments fall on Jared Bednar's shoulders? Would losing both MacFarland and Bednar in the same offseason be too much change for a championship-level team? Have the Avalanche players and organization become too comfortable, and do they need a shake-up? 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil share the sad news that former NBA coach and David Adelman's father, Rick Adelman, has passed away. With the Broncos starting OTA's tomorrow, we debate what we are looking for the most. Will newly acquired Jaylen Waddle flash? Will Davis Webb be more vocal in his new role? Where does the Broncos receiving room rank among the postion group in the NFL? Phil shares about his time as Waddle's teammate and what his personality is like. Who is the Broncos' number 3 wide receiver? We react to Russell Wilson retiring from the NFL and joining CBS as an analyst. Is Russ a future Hall of Famer? We hear from Wilson on his time in Denver, getting benched to prevent injury, and his relationship with Sean Payton. We wrap up the show reacting to Bill Simmons calling out Nuggets ownership to go out and pay Peyton Watson on top of keeping their other key players. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to NBC's rankings of all 32 General Managers in the NFL. Where did George Paton rank on the list? Should Paton feel slighted by being listed alongside Sean Payton as GM? We react to a blockbuster trade in the NFL with the Browns sending Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, to the Rams. How does this change the matchup between the Rams and Broncos in week 3 this season? Does this trade make us think the Broncos didn't do enough this offseason to get better? We also react to the Patriots trading for AJ Brown today. Why have we not heard any news on Jared Bednar or the Avalanche's end-of-the-season press conferences? Are the Avs and Bednar in contract extension talks? Does Bednar deserve an extension after another playoff failure? Is the Avs' championship window still open if they run it back with the same core of players and the same coach? 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil debate where the Avalanche and Nuggets rosters are and if they are still in championship windows. We pivot to the Broncos and debate what we are looking for the most in Broncos' OTA's tomorrow. Will newly acquired Jaylen Waddle flash? Will Davis Webb be more vocal in his new role? Where does the Broncos receiving room rank among the postion group in the NFL? Are Waddle and Sutton co-number-one options? Today's "Three Count" features Rockies prospect Ethan Holiday going down with a season-ending injury in the minor leagues, John Elway walking out with Morgan Wallen at his concert over the weekend, and the Spurs beating the Thunder in OKC to move on to the NBA Finals. We react to Bill Simmons calling out Nuggets ownership to go out and pay Peyton Watson on top of keeping their other key players. Should the Kroenke's be willing to go into the 2nd apron in order to keep this Nuggets group together?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross-talking with Dover and Jake. The guys discuss the hail storm rolling through Denver today and the guys' weekends. Zach and Phil react to a blockbuster trade in the NFL with the Browns sending Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, to the Rams. How much does this trade put the Rams ahead of the Broncos? We also have breaking news as the Patriots have traded for AJ Brown. Which of the trades impacts the Broncos more, and which trade impacts the landscape of the NFL more? Why have we not heard any news on Jared Bednar or the Avalanche's end-of-the-season press conferences? Are the Avs and Bednar in contract extension talks? Does Bednar deserve an extension after another playoff failure? We react to Russell Wilson retiring from the NFL and joining CBS as an analyst. We hear from Wilson on his time in Denver, getting benched to prevent injury, and his relationship with Sean Payton. Is Russ a future Hall of Famer? 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to a trade idea that involves the Nuggets sending out Aaron Gordon in return for Derrick Jones Jr. and a first-round pick. Could the Nuggets take a step back financially and competitively to reset the organization moving forward? We react to Mike Klis' article detailing the biggest questions for the Broncos this season. How will Davis Webb look as a first-time play caller, and will we learn anything about him during OTA's? Will the Broncos be improved in explosive plays? Did all the Avalanche representation in the Olympics come back to bite the Avs in the butt when it mattered the most? Were the guys gassed after 7 straight months of high-level hockey? We wrap up the show summarizing everything we learned in Denver sports today, including Jared Bednar not being fired yet, the Broncos almost crossing the line of making Burnham Yard their future home for a stadium, and much more.